Adjustable seat



June 9, 1936. J DORTON 2,043,287

ADJUSTABLE SEAT Filed Aug. 23, 1934 5 Sheets-Shem 1 22 INVENTOR' 26 John M170 #022, I

June 9, 1936. M, D RTO 2,043,287

ADJUSTABLE SEAT I Filed Aug. 23, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A Z a i I John M. 1707 2077 INVENTOR:

ATTORNEY.

June 9, 1936. J. M. DORTON ADJUSTABLE SEAT Filed Aug. 25. 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR:

ATTORNEY.

Patented June 9, .1936

U ITED STATES PATEN amaze-z smear: s'r

John M. lDorton, Bonner Springs, no. Application August 2a 1934, Serial No. iihll i 5 Maxims. (e1. 155-82) Another feature resides in the provision of a stationary frame upon which the seat and the back of the device may be supported at difierent elevations to suit the convenience of .users of 15 different heights. The seat and the back are also hingediy connected so-that the seat may be swung upwardly or downwardly and the back forwardly or backwardly.

With slight modifications the device may also an be used to advantage in other vehicles such as busses, steam railway and electric cars, automobiles, and the like, and in public institutions such as churches, theaters, etc. Other features will hereinafter appear and in 'worder that the invention may be fully understood, reference will now be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l isa perspective view of one form of the device with the cushion removed.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the device with cushioning means in position thereon.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the device'with the cushioning means in elevation.

Fig. 4 is a detail partly in section of mecha- 35 nism for adjusting the seat frame or the back frame of the device.

Fig. 5 is a cross section on line t-t of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a-detailof two spiral gears forming part of the mechanism disclosed by Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 'lis an enlarged cross sectional view on line l -i of Fig. l.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of of the seat and back frames.

Fig. 9 isa side elevation partly in section show- 45 ing the seat and back frames and a modified form of cushion.

Fig. 10 is a broken detail view showing certain parts employed in carrying out the invention.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary view of a portion of 5 a woven wire strip, a plurality of which are embodied in the cushioning means. Referring more particularly to the parts shown by Figs-1 to '7, inclusive, 2 designates a main frame comprisinga pair of'upi'ight members 4 a modified form '55 held in spaced relation to each other by upper and lower transverse members t and t, respec-- tively. The upright members d consist preferably of flat spring metal so that legs it forming the lower portion of said upright members t may sway laterally for a purpose hereinafter pointed out. The resilient legs iii are provided at their lower ends with feet if having holes it therein so that they may be secured to a floor or other support upon which said feet may rest.

it designates a seat frame which is operably connected to'the back frame it of the device by suitable means such as tubular hinges it, as best shown by Fig. 7. Preferably, the seat frame it comprises a bottom portion it having side flanges it and front and rear flanges it. The back frame comprises a back portion it having side flanges 2t and top and bottom flanges it. The

side flanges it have lower bifurcated portions ii to receive the rear ends of the side flanges ill.

The tubular hinges 2t have axially disposed bolts it each of which is provided at one end with a head it and at its opposite end with a. nut Eli. Each bolt 22 is provided with a bushing it, Figs. 1 and 7, anda pair of washers til, which latter are arranged at opposite ends of said bushing 26. The bushings it are adapted to rest in any of the superimposed marginal notches if in the upright members t and prevent the washers 3% from being pressed so tightly against the bifurcated portions if as to clamp the same into frictional engagement with the intervening portions of the flanges Ill when the respective nuts it are tightened. The bolts ti and the notches t2 permit the seat and back frames it and. lid, respectively, ,to be adjusted to difierent elevations to suit the convenience of the user of the device. The seat frame it is swingable on the hinges it, so that it may be swung downwardly to the full line position or hit upwardly to the dotted line position shown by Fig. 3, in order to be out of the way when not in use.- The back frame it is also swingable on the hinges 2t, so-that it may be swung forwardly or backwardly as desired. Screws 3d are provided for securing the back frame it in different positions. Said screws 3t extend freely through longitudinal slots 36 in the upper portions of the upright members i and are adapted fat Mechanism is provided for supporting the seat frame l6 for use by an occupant and for lowering said seat frame to the full line position shown by Fig. 3. Said mechanism comprises a pair of pinions 42, 'oppositely disposed segmental gears 44 spaced apart and formed integral with the side flanges ll of the seat frame I 6, a shaft 48 mounted in bearings 49 and upon which said pinions 42 are loosely mounted, a pair of ratchet wheels 50 fixed upon the shaft 48 and arranged beside the pinions 42, pawls 52 pivotally mounted upon the pinions 42 and coacting with the respective ratchet wheels 56, a spiral gear wheel 54 fixed upon the shaft 48, a spiral gear wheel 55 intermeshing with said spiral gear wheel 54 and fixed upon a shaft 58 mounted in the back frame l8 and provided at its upper end with a knob 66 whereby it may be rotated. The bearings 48 are secured to the flange 25 and the spiral gear wheels 54 and 56 are enclosed in a housing 51 secured to the back frame l8. By rotating the knob- 60 in the proper direction the ratchet wheels 58 will rotate the pinions 42 in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 5, through the intermediary of the pawls 52 and the ratchet wheels 58 and thus effect the lowering of the seat frame I6 to any desired point. The seat frame l6 may be quickly swung upwardly to any desired point by grasping the forward portion of said seat frame and pulling upwardly thereon. As the seat frame is swung upwardly the pawls 52 run idly around the respective ratchet wheels 50 and permit the pinions 42 to be freely rotated in a reverse direction to the arrow, Fig. 5, by the segmental gears 44. When the seat frame is released it is prevented from swinging down by the pawls 52 positively engaging the teeth of the ratchet wheels 56 which are held from rotation by the spiral gear wheels 54 and 56.

The device above described and shown by Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, is well adapted for use on locomotives as the resilient legs ifl permit the device to sway laterally in either direction and thereby reduce to a minimum the ill efiects to which the engineer might otherwise be subjected from the swaying of the locomotive when in operation. The ability to swing the seat frame l6 either to the full or dotted line position shown by Fig. 3 adds to the convenience of the device as it enables said seat frame and the cushion (hereinafter described) carrled thereby to be adjusted out of the way when the engineer desires, while in a standing posture, to operate the locomotive. In addition to being used on a locomotive the foregoing device may also be used to advantage in other Places as hereinbefore pointed out.

Theseat and back' frames are rendered comfortable for the user by suitable cushioning means shown in the present instance in the form of connected seat and back cushions 62 and 64, embodying coil springs 66 and 68 and supplemental frames 10 and 12, respectively; The seat and back cushions 62 and 64 are removably held in place by lugs 14 and I6 projecting from the front and top flanges I9 and 25, respectively. The lugs 14 overlap the forward end of the supplemental frame 10 and the lugs 16 overlap the upper portion of the frame I2.

In the modified form shown by Fig. 8, the seat and back frames are substantially the same as those best shown by Fig. 1, as is evidenced by corresponding reference numerals with exponents a, the chief difference being that the segmental gears 44a are formed on the lower ends of the back frame |8a instead of on the rear ends of the seat frame l6. The manually controlled mechanism is also substantially the same, excepting that it is mounted on the seat frame l6a instead of the back frame as shown by Fig. 1.. The transverse members 6 and 8 and the screws 34 are preferably dispensed with, so that the back frame |8a may be lowered to a horizontal position if it is desired to convert the device into a bed.

In the modified form shown by Fig. 9 the seat and back frames and the seat and back cushions are substantially the same as those shown by Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, as is evidenced by correspondin reference numerals with exponents b, the main difference being that the back cushion 64b is provided: with means for preventing its two opposite sides from becoming wrinkled when the front side of said cushion 64b is pulled downwardly by the seat cushion 62b when the latter is depressed by an occupant sitting thereon. The wrinkle preventing means comprises a pair of stiff rods 80 secured-to the opposite sides of the cushion 64b by stitching or other suitable means, and 'tensioning springs 82 secured to said rods 80 and the supplemental frame 121). With the foregoing arrangement it is apparent that when the front portion of the cushion 64b is pulled downwardly as above stated the sides of said cushion will be held taut by the rods 80 and the springs 82. A further difference between the cushioning means shown by Fig. 9 and that disclosed by Figs. 2 and 3 resides in woven wire strips 84 which are employed for reinforang the cloth I or other covering of the cushions 62b and 64b. The strips 84 are also connected to the forward ends of the springs 68b by means of clips 86, Fig. 10. The coil springs 68b have been omitted from Fig. '9, to avoid confusion with the wires 80 and the tensioning springs 82.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that I have provided devices embodying the advantages above pointed out, and while I have shown several forms of such devices I reserve all rights to such other forms and modifications thereof as properly fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patents, is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a. main frame having a pair of upright members with notches spaced one above another, a seat frame and a back frame projecting between said upright members, hinge means operably connecting said seat and back frames including members extending through said frames and adapted to rest in any of said notches and thereby support the seat and back frames at different elevations, and means on the upright members and.the back frame cooperating with the hinge members in supporting the seat and back frames at different elevations.

2. A device of the character described comprising a main frame having a pair of upright members with marginal notches and longitudinal slots, a seat frame and a back frame projecting between said upright members, hinge means operably connecting said seat and back frames including members extending through said frames and adapted to rest in any of said notches and thereby support the seat and back frames at different elevations, and elements extending freely through the longitudinal slots in said upright members and removably engaging said back frame to prevent accidental forward or' backward movement thereof.

3. A device of the characterdescribed comprising a main frame having a pair of upright membars with marginal notches and longitudinal slots, 9. seat frame and a back frame projecting between said upright members. said back frame having a plurality of holes arranged side by side in its upper side portions, hinge means operably connecting said seat and back frames, including members extending through said frames and adapted to rest inany oi said notches and thereby s lpport the seat and back frames at different elevations, and elements extending freely through the longitudinal slots in said upright members and adapted to be threaded into any of said holes to secure the back frame in different positions to which it may be adjusted through the H intermediary of the hinges. v

4. A device of the character described comprising a main frame having a pair of upright members with marginal notches spaced one above the-- other, a seat frame and a back frame projecting between said upright members, hinge means operably connecting said seat and back frames in- A .L 3 eluding members projecting through said frames and adapted to rest in any of said notches and thereby support the seat and back frames at dif-' f'erent elevations, a bushing on each hinge member where it is adapted to rest in any of the assoand a back frame projecting between said upright members, hinge means operably connecting said seat and back frames and including members extending through said frames and adapted to rest in any of said notches and thereby support the seat and the back-frames atdiiferent elevations, means cooperating with the hinge members in supporting the seat and back frames at the different, elevations, and cooperating means on the seat and back frames for swinging laid seat frame up or down on the hinges.

'JOHN M. DORTON. 25 

